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Live rugby: Brumbies vs Blues

David Polkinghorne

80: And the fate of the Brumbies lies in the hands of the Waratahs. An awful opening 20 minutes proves costly. Blues win 30-16. The Brumbies now need their arch-rivals, the Waratahs, to help them out against the Queensland Reds. Brumbies huddling in the middle...

79: Brumbies lineout 30m out. Teaming rain. Season on the line. 100-gamer Moore with the ball...

77: PENALTY! Weepu converts. Blues 30-16. Prior on for White. Brumbies need a converted try and they have 2 minutes to do it...that would give them a bonus point.

75: Blues should've scored then but held up by the Brumbies...

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74: Brumbies lose a lineout just 5m out from their own line, Blues attacking now 7m out...

72: Ball in the hands of prop Steve Moore, playing his 100th Super Rugby game. Brumbies lineout near the 22. Still time for a try that would give the Brumbies a bonus point and a finals berth. But the Blues clear...

71: Speight drops the ball as the Brumbies spread it wide. 15m from the Blues line. We take a music break...oh, dear, Chris "Blocka" Dutton singing next to me. I preferred it when the PA was broken...

70: Gee whiz the Brumbies are going to be sore tomorrow, on the end of some big hits from the Blues. Brumbies pressing again as Coleman breaks the line, 10m out. Crowd urging them on...

67: Brumbies pressing with phase after phase but not making much ground at the moment. Turn over, crowd thought it was offside.

63: Brumbies get the scrum feed! 22m out as the Blues throw to the lineout was crooked. How good would a driving scrum be right now. But the Brums run it instead, not they look to roll the maul, but it was held up and the Blues get the scrum feed.

61: Driving rain, thoughts go out to former Brumby Rod Kafer who's sitting on the sideline. Don't worry Rod, it's nice and dry up in the press box..

60: Smash! Fotu puts on a big hit. Power warming up, the bearded one's game might be coming to an end.

58: PENALTY! Zack Holmes will try to eat away at this lead. Crowd of 14,111 here today, would've like to see more. And Holmes misses. Mutterings of discontent resound around...Blues 27-16.

57: Something to cheer about Brumbies' fans: human-wrecking ball Fotu Auelua is on! And it's starting to rain...Brumbies pressing with a rolling maul...

55: Oh dear, White kicks it out on the full when the Brumbies were on the attack. But more disappointing were the boos from the Brumbies fans right when your team needs your support. Great break by Andrew Smith, Brumbies pressing...lineout 5m from the Blues' line.

53: A massive 31 missed tackles by the Brumbies so far. Getting absolutely monstered by the big Blues...

51: PENALTY! Weepu with an absolute sitter. Momentum now with the Blues. Over. Blues 27-16.

50: Players down everywhere. Blues fullback Charles Piutau and the bearded Fardy both struggle back to their feet as the Blues press the Brumbies' line.

47: PENALTY! Now it's Weepu's turn. Blues looking dangerous every time they run the ball. The All Black doesn't miss. Blues 24-16.

44: PENALTY! Mogg again, but this one is OVER! Fourth-time lucky for the outside back. Blues 21-16.

42: PENALTY! Mogg to chance his arm from halfway, with the breeze at his back this half. But he's shanked it and it remains Blues 21-13.

40: Ben Mowen lays down the law to his troops in the huddle as the air-raid siren sounds around the stadium. A VERY big 40 minutes ahead of the Brumbies...

HALF-TIME: Making it worse for Brumbies, Tomane injured, Holmes nursing sore shoulder, Ben Alexander not playing and Dan Palmer is off. Second half just about to start.

HALF-TIME: Some stats just in ... The Brumbies missed 23 tackles in that half and had just 21 per cent possession. Surely it can't get any worse when they return from the sheds. Finals are on the line. Jake White will be filthy. He wanted the game to be slower, but the Blues are playing a sevens attacking style.

HALF-TIME: Brumbies coach Jake White wouldn't be happy with some of the tackling in that first half, but would've loved the way his boys fought their way into the contest after a very slow start. And it's time for a mascot race. My money's on Club Lime's boy...nope it was the Carwash man! Jimmy Lime second and Brumby Jack third.

40: PENALTY! Blues fail to release the ball. Set up for a Mogg long bomb with the hooter sounding...falls well short into the wind. And that's half-time. Blues 21-13.

38: News gets worse for Brumbies fans as Dan Palmer hobbles off. Scott Sio on in his place. Also Zack Holmes nursing his left shoulder...

36: TRY! Awful display of tackling by the Brumbies, about six missed tackles, and Hadleigh Parkes dives over against the run of play. Pat McCabe might have to show his fellow backs how to tackle. Weepu's conversion is good. Blues 21-13.

33: The music is back here at Canberra Stadium! Time to rock out while we pack a scrum and put magic water on a few players.

32: Coleman to fullback, Mogg to the wing...

30: Bad news for the Brumbies, Joe Tomane has gone off, presumably his ankle hasn't held up. Robbie Coleman on...and he does so to great effect! Weaving run but there's a knock on. Brumbies really are warming into this game now...

27: PENALTY! Oh dear, the bearded one, Fardy, looking very groggy and yet to get up. There he goes, takes more than a mere knock to the head to keep our lumberjack down. Holmes smashes it over the black dot and it couldn't get much closer than this. Blues 14-13.

26: PENALTY! The crowd has lifted, the Brumbies have lifted and now the momentum is all with the home team. White kicks for territory. Steve Moore's lineout near the 22m.

24: TRY! Henry Speight you legend! The Brumbies' leading try scorer gets over after the Blues spilled a high Nic White kick. Speight had plenty to do and danced like the Fijian drums were beating. Fantastic swan dive that would've warmed the cockles of Stirling Mortlock's heart. Holmes converts. Blues 14-10.

22: PENALTY! The Brumbies have visibly lifted and Jesse Mogg will have a long-range crack from 40m near the sideline. But it's well wide. Blues 14-3.

20: PENALTY! Zack Holmes has the chance to get the Brumbies on the board...and it's good! Finally something to cheer about here at Canberra Stadium. Hopefully the boys relax now and get stuck in. Blues 14-3.

16: TRY! The crowd trying to lift their beloved Brumbies, but the Blues looking too big and strong. The Blues break down the sideline and Dan Braid charges over. The wind blows the ball off Weepu's tee, but he resets and converts from the sideline. Blues 14-0.

9: PENALTY! Brumbies still yet to get out of their own half as the Blues opt for the scrum just 5m out from the Brumbies line...

6: Rumoured that John Kirwan has been named Blues coach for next season. Not a bad crowd here at Canberra Stadium as the Brumbies feed a scrum near their own tryline, but they get a relieving penalty...

3.28: And here come the Brumbies! Geez they look fit! Jake White has these boys primed for a massive game in the club's history. Get ready for action...

3.25pm: The ground announcers have lost sound out here at Canberra Stadium! We've got vision but no sound. Making matters worse, the bar tent looks pretty full as well. And out come the Auckland Blues to a few muffled claps but no theme song. Hopefully this is just a ploy and the Brumbies will run out to a cacophony of sound...

Warm up: Both teams out doing their warm-up. Brumbies looking very fit...

Preamble: It's the last game before the finals and plenty is still up for grabs. The Brumbies need one point to ensure a spot at the top of the Australian conference.

Excitement is building at Canberra Stadium, along with the crowd, as the ACT have just beaten the Police with an after the siren penalty in the curtain raiser. Confirmation that Ben Alexander is out, with Ruaidhri Murphy taking his place in the front row with Scott Sio coming onto the bench. Less than an hour to kick off...